WS #12394

The US-Iran conflict continues to escalate with fresh airstrikes and Iranian retaliation, including targeting US bases in Kuwait and closing the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has suspended commitments to the interim deal with the US. The death toll has reached 16 US service members. Oil prices are under upward pressure, with Pakistan raising jet fuel prices by PKR 40.35 per litre. In tech, Apple is reportedly opening negotiations with the DOJ to settle antitrust lawsuits, which could reduce regulatory overhang. Michael Burry has opened a short position against Micron, betting against the AI boom. Meta is poaching a top Amazon cloud executive, signaling its push into cloud computing. The SAVE Act faces a setback as Senator Murkowski announces opposition, likely killing the bill. The dominant theme is US-Iran escalation, which is ESCALATING.